Behind Enemy Lines
It's time to take a deeper dive into the Indiana Hoosiers, who are coming off their best season in many years. Tom Allen has Indiana poised for another strong campaign with quarterback Michael Penix leading the way. We got Behind Enemy Lines with Alec Lasley from TheHoosier.com to get the scoop on Indiana's football team.
1. Michael Penix is back and seemingly healthy after a torn ACL ended his 2020 season. What sort of looks have the Indiana media had from practice to assess his health? What does he mean to the Hoosier offense?
LASLEY: Penix and Tom Allen have been very open about his recovery. In fall camp, the staff would blow the play dead if Penix would get out in the open field. His health is the biggest question mark heading into this season and will either make or break much of IU’s potential.
He is 100% heading into this weekend, however. He looks good, confident and seems to have a chip on his shoulder. His ability to throw the deep ball accurately opens up so much for Indiana’s offense. They are reloaded again with multiple weapons offensively and his connection with Ty Fryfogle and Peyton Hendershot has emerged as a real game-changer.
2. The Hoosiers released their depth chart on Monday and USC transfer Stephen Carr is the top running back. What have you seen from him in camp and what type of back will he be this season?
LASLEY: Stephen Carr has been terrific in camp. He’s healthy and that is showing. He has a great ability to run through defenders with his strength, but is extremely agile and has a great shiftiness about him. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is also something that IU will look to use and use often. He’s as close to a three-down back that you can have while still having solid depth behind him in the backfield.
3. Indiana has a new defensive coordinator in Charlton Warren. Will there be any change to the more aggressive style? Will there be any changes to the overall scheme?
LASLEY: Indiana had tremendous success a season ago creating turnovers so the question is, can they do it again this year? Most of the defense is back this season and is now a year older and more developed. Warren will be running a very similar type system to what Indiana ran last year which is a 4-2-5. The ‘Bull’ - hybrid DE/LB - and ‘Husky’ - hybrid LB/S - positions are the key to IU’s defense and there are now multiple players on the roster who have had success in those roles and seen many snaps. There will be a few tweaks here and there but Warren will also be playing to the strengths of the defensive unit that has had a lot of success of the past few seasons.
4. Who are some of the top defensive players to watch for the Hoosiers on Saturday?
LASLEY: Junior cornerback Tiawan Mullen and senior linebacker Micah McFadden were both named All-Americans coming into this season and those are the two obvious names.
But, Ole Miss transfer DE Ryder Anderson has had a great spring and fall camp and has emerged as the leader on the IU defensive line. He has a great ability to disrupt the rushing attack and get in the backfield to both the back and the QB.
James Head returns on the d-line and is another player expected to have a big year and IU returns all but one player, Jamar Johnson, from the secondary from last year. Everyone who sees snaps in the defensive backfield has the opportunity to make big, big plays.
5. Last year was a huge season of improvement under Tom Allen. How has he grown as a coach in the past few years and how is he handling higher expectations for the program?
LASLEY: ‘Earmuffs and blinders’. That’s his saying. He has handled success extremely well and is ready for this moment that the team has this season. He not only has a full roster behind him, but the entire state of Indiana is as well.
Allen has worked extremely hard to change the mindset of his players from the losing mentality that was there when he took over to now the expectation that every week they will win if they go out and control what they can control. The ability to have everyone bought into his LEO mentality is incredible and he has now done it in multiple straight years. Now, the biggest thing holding him and Indiana back is a bowl victory, something the program hasn’t had since 1991.
6. What are some of the keys to the game that have to go right for Indiana? What is your prediction for the game?
LASLEY: Biggest keys to the game are the lines for IU - offensive and defensive line.
IU’s O-line was very inconsistent last year and played a huge role in the inconsistency of the running game. That has been a huge point of emphasis this off-season. If Indiana can control the line of scrimmage, it will open up so much for both the offensive weapons to make big plays, but also the IU defense to create turnovers.
Overall, the biggest key though for Indiana is to not beat itself. IU has been ready for this moment for the past two years and is ready to prove to the public that it is here to stay and not just a ‘one-hit wonder’.
I think Indiana goes into Iowa and comes out with a win. IU is ready for this season more than ever and with all of the upperclassmen who came back due to the potential and expectations surrounding this team, they aren’t going to see that derailed week one. I have Indiana 27-17 in this one.